Orleans School Board urged not to lay off social workers

A crowd of more than 50 people packed an Orleans Parish School Board budget public hearing Thursday, some pleading with the board not to lay off social workers.

The $34 million operating budget for 2009-10 averts what would have been a threatened $13 million deficit, but the cash-strapped district will shutter an evening high school program and lay off about 16 central office employees, 30 teachers and 10 other school-based employees, including six social workers.

Opponents, including school social workers and teachers, told the board that having permanent school-site social workers, who know their students, is essential to respond to students struggling to return to normalcy and those facing mental health and other issues post-Katrina.

One social worker at Benjamin Franklin Elementary, Andrée Ambler Roques, told the board that she found out she would lose her job on the same day she learned about the death of J'Coby Lorenzo Boyd, 6, a Franklin student hit by a sport utility vehicle this month.

Ambler Roques, who had worked with J'Coby's mother previously, helped her get clothes for the funeral and attended the funeral, along with other school staff and students' parents.

"A social worker's job isn't just a job. It doesn't end at 3:15," Ambler Roques said.

Officials plan to use stimulus dollars to create response teams of social workers, nurses and behavior interventionists. The district will supplement the teams with services from clinics in its two high schools as well as work with local health agencies.

The budget reflects the costs lingering from when the board operated an exponentially larger system of more than 100 campuses, as well as rising retiree health insurance costs and millions in bond debt.

Stagnant allocation of state dollars, a reduction in sales tax revenue and the loss of federal flood recovery dollars contributed to the budget strains for the shrunken district, which will now operates four schools.

A group of education, legal and financial experts had previously expressed concern whether the board would make deep enough cuts, but praised the board's budget Thursday. The group, appointed by the Cowen Institute, also recommended the board require its dozen charters to pay its per-pupil share of the bond debt.

Speakers also urged the board to find space for an overcrowded Franklin Elementary and to keep an Army ROTC program, which has seen a number of its graduates go onto to college and vocational programs.

"I know this is tough and heart-wrenching," board President Woody Koppel said, adding that the board would consider the requests.

A board vote on the budget is set for Tuesday.

. . . . . . .

Darran Simon can be reached at dsimon@timespicayune.com or 504.826-3386.